Sample plan

Marathon training plan for 4:00

Hugo has nineteen minutes to find.

Hugo is 45 and has run for eight years: four days a week, about 30 km, an 18 km long run, and a 4:19 marathon. Fifteen weeks to break four hours for the first time.

Built by Tuin on 8 September 2026
Shown from this week, so it reads like a plan starting today — every weekday, distance and session is exactly as it was written.

The runner is made up. The plan is not: it is exactly what Tuin built from these numbers, through the same door every athlete's first plan goes through. It was written in Spanish — the other two languages are translated word for word, never renumbered, and strength exercises are named from a standard glossary so they read the same everywhere.

Why this plan looks like this

A 4:19 is rarely a fitness problem in the first thirty kilometres and almost always one in the last twelve. Hugo's eight weeks show a runner who is consistent and never goes far, so the plan buys the end of his race by growing the long run and putting goal pace inside it — the specific thing that was missing, rather than more of everything.

What the coach was told

Goal
Winter marathon
Race day
24 January 2027
Distance
42.2 km
Target
4:00:00
Runs per week
4
Weekly volume
~30 km
Longest run
18 km
Recent effort
42.2 km · 4:19:00
Threshold pace
5:26/km

The eight weeks before

Weekly kilometres the coach read before writing a single session — the runs it built on.

30
30
32
32
23
34
34
30

What the coach said, handing it over

Here's your first plan, built from your actual running history: you've been running 20-30 km/week for 4 weeks with long runs of 12-14 km, a tempo every 10 days at around 5:25/km pace, and your March marathon (4:19). From that I'm calculating your threshold pace at roughly 5:20/km and, for your goal of breaking 4 hours, a target marathon pace of 5:41/km — I'm confident it's achievable because you've already run at a similar threshold pace; if it feels too ambitious, let me know and I'll dial it back.

Since you have Cruise mode on, the plan builds volume very gradually (one quality session + one long run + easy runs per week, with a recovery week every 3-4), the long run grows from 14 to 24 km before we taper, and in the final long runs of the block I'll add stretches at marathon pace so your legs and mind know what race day feels like. Race week includes a sharpener (3x1600 at marathon pace, 4-5 days out) and strides on Saturday — never all easy, so you don't arrive flat.

I've scheduled strength work (1x/week, as you asked) on Fridays, which isn't the day before a key session. We start tomorrow, Thursday, with an easy run, since today is Tuesday and we're past that. If you want to shift any days around or adjust the target pace, I can tweak it right now.

The plan, week by week

Sixteen weeks is a lot to scroll. Every week is folded — open the ones you want, and week one is open already.

15 weeks · Peak week 15 · 64 km planned

Week 1from 12 Oct4 sessions27 km planned

Getting back to it, partial week

  • Thu 15
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run to reconnect with your legs, all conversational.
  • Fri 16
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 per side · moderate
  • Sat 17
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run, conversational pace.
  • Sun 18
    Long · 14 km @ 6:15-6:30/km · 80–100 min
    Long easy run steady, no pace target.
Week 2from 19 Oct5 sessions27 km planned

Base, first quality session

  • Tue 20
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 22
    Tempo run · 7 km · 35–50 min
    Continuous tempo at threshold pace: comfortably hard, you could do 2-3 more reps.
  • Fri 23
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 per side · moderate
  • Sat 24
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run.
  • Sun 25
    Long · 15 km @ 6:15-6:30/km · 85–105 min
    Long easy run, a bit more volume than last week.
Week 3from 26 Oct5 sessions37 km planned

Base, cruise intervals

  • Tue 27
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 29
    Cruise intervals · 3 × 1.6 km · 40–55 min
    3 long reps at threshold pace with short jog recoveries between, control and consistency.
  • Fri 30
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 per side · moderate
  • Sat 31
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Sun 1
    Long · 16 km @ 6:15-6:30/km · 90–115 min
    Long easy run.
Week 4from 2 Nov5 sessions24 km planned

Deload week

  • Tue 3
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 5
    Easy · 6 × 20s · 5–15 min
    Easy run finishing with short pickups to freshen the legs.
  • Fri 6
    Strength
    Back squat 3 × 5 · moderate-heavy · Bulgarian split squat 2 × 6 per side · moderate · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 2 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Calf raise (bent knee) 2 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 2 × 8 per side · moderate
  • Sat 7
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run.
  • Sun 8
    Long · 12 km @ 6:15-6:30/km · 70–85 min
    Short long run, deload week.
Week 5from 9 Nov5 sessions40 km planned

Building back up

  • Tue 10
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 12
    Over/unders · 3 × (1 km / 1 km) · 45–60 min
    Alternating blocks of marathon pace and threshold pace, first touch of your goal pace.
  • Fri 13
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 per side · moderate
  • Sat 14
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Sun 15
    Long · 17 km @ 6:15-6:30/km · 95–120 min
    Long easy run, now above your recent max.
Week 6from 16 Nov5 sessions41 km planned

Closing the first block

  • Tue 17
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 19
    Tempo ladder · 9 km · 45–60 min
    Descending ladder: pick up the pace a bit more in each segment, with walk recovery.
  • Fri 20
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 per side · moderate
  • Sat 21
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Sun 22
    Long · 18 km @ 6:15-6:30/km · 105–125 min
    Long easy run, your longest distance so far in this block.
Week 7from 23 Nov5 sessions33 km planned

Deload

  • Tue 24
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 26
    Tempo · 7 km @ 5:20-5:25/km · 30–45 min
    Continuous tempo at threshold pace.
  • Fri 27
    Strength
  • Sat 28
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run.
  • Sun 29
    Long · 14 km @ 6:15-6:30/km · 80–100 min
    Long run at cutdown pace.
Week 8from 30 Nov5 sessions41 km planned

Specific block, first km at marathon pace.

  • Tue 1
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 3
    Intervals · 8 km @ 5:20-5:41/km · 40–50 min
    Blocks alternating marathon pace and threshold.
  • Fri 4
    Strength
  • Sat 5
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Sun 6
    Long · 19 km · 105–130 min
    Long run with the last 5 km at marathon pace.
Week 9from 7 Dec5 sessions43 km planned

Specific block.

  • Tue 8
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 10
    Cruise intervals · 9 km @ 5:20-5:25/km · 40–55 min
    4 repetitions at threshold pace.
  • Fri 11
    Strength
  • Sat 12
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Sun 13
    Long · 20 km · 110–135 min
    Long run with final 6 km at marathon pace.
Week 10from 14 Dec5 sessions34 km planned

Recovery.

  • Tue 15
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 17
    Tempo · 7 km @ 5:20-5:25/km · 30–45 min
    Continuous tempo at threshold pace.
  • Fri 18
    Strength
  • Sat 19
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run.
  • Sun 20
    Long · 15 km @ 6:15-6:30/km · 85–105 min
    Long run at cutdown pace.
Week 11from 21 Dec5 sessions45 km planned

Specific block, building to peak.

  • Tue 22
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 24
    Intervals · 9 km @ 5:15-5:35/km · 40–55 min
    Descending ladder at fast paces.
  • Fri 25
    Strength
  • Sat 26
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Sun 27
    Long · 22 km · 120–150 min
    Long run with 8 km at marathon pace.
Week 12from 28 Dec5 sessions48 km planned

Peak week.

  • Tue 29
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 31
    Intervals · 10 km @ 5:20-5:41/km · 50–60 min
    Blocks marathon pace / threshold, your hardest quality session of the block.
  • Fri 1
    Strength
  • Sat 2
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Sun 3
    Long · 24 km · 130–160 min
    Your hardest long run: final 10 km at marathon pace.
Week 13from 4 Jan5 sessions35 km planned

Begin the taper.

  • Tue 5
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 7
    Tempo · 7 km @ 5:20-5:25/km · 30–45 min
    Continuous tempo, maintain sharpness without accumulating fatigue.
  • Fri 8
    Strength
  • Sat 9
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run.
  • Sun 10
    Long · 16 km · 90–110 min
    Long run with final 3 km at marathon pace, volume coming down.
Week 14from 11 Jan4 sessions29 km planned

Cut back

  • Tue 12
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run.
  • Thu 14
    Intervals · 6 km @ 5:41/km · 30–40 min
    4x1 km at marathon pace with 2 min jog recovery, maintains pace feel without fatigue.
  • Sat 16
    Easy · 5 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 30–40 min
    Very easy run.
  • Sun 17
    Long · 12 km @ 6:20-6:35/km · 70–85 min
    Final long run, short and easy.
Week 15from 18 Jan6 sessions64 km planned

Race week

  • Tue 19
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:30-6:45/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run, fresh legs.
  • Wed 20
    Cruise intervals · 3 × 1.6 km · 45–55 min
    Sharpener: 3x1.6 km at marathon pace, this builds nothing, just keeps the edge — you should finish feeling you could repeat it.
  • Thu 21
    Easy · 5 km @ 6:40-6:50/km · 30–40 min
    Very easy recovery run.
  • Fri 22
    Rest
    Complete rest before strides.
  • Sat 23
    Easy · 5 × 25s · 25–35 min
    Strides: easy run with 5 short pickups at race pace to activate legs.
  • Sun 24
    Race day · 42.2 km @ 5:41/km · 220–260 min
    Marathon! Target pace 5:41/km to break 4 hours — even splits or slightly negative, never banking time up front.
Other plans
Marathon under 3:00 →Marathon in 3:30 →Marathon in 3:45 →First marathon, 4:30 →5K under 20:00 →5K in 22:00 →5K under 25:00 →5K in 30:00 →10K under 40:00 →10K under 42:00 →10K in 45:00 →10K in 50:00 →10K in 55:00 →Half under 1:30 →Half in 1:45 →Half in 2:00 →Half in 2:10 →Half in 2:15 →First half, 2:30 →First trail, 25K →Trail marathon, 42K →50K trail →

Yours would look different

Tuin writes every plan from the runs it can actually see and the goal you set — then keeps rewriting it as your weeks happen. The whole of it is free for 7 days.

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Marathon training plan for 4:00 · Tuin